Meet American Girl’s New Arrival: The Brand-New World of Bitty Baby!

—Company Expands and Enhances Its Popular Baby-Doll Line to Create
One-of-a-Kind Companions for the Littlest American Girls—

August 27, 2013 06:00 AM Eastern Time

MIDDLETON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starting today, little girls and their parents will have more to
celebrate and explore with the debut of American Girl’s newly enhanced Bitty
Baby® line of high-quality 15-inch baby dolls,
outfits, and accessories. Bitty Baby, a longtime, lovable playtime
companion to millions of girls ages 3 and up, now has even more options
to encourage nurturing play, including 11 different dolls with various
skin tones and hair- and eye-color combinations, beautifully illustrated
picture books filled with heartwarming adventures, and new premium play
sets and plush animals, as well as online activities for girls and
parents.

With so many new options to choose from, every little girl can now find
the Bitty Baby doll that’s just right for her. After selecting her doll
from the expanded choices, a girl will receive her Bitty Baby doll
dressed in a signature sleeper, along with a special “wishing star”
keepsake toy and Bitty Baby and Me, the first in a series of five
hardcover picture books that inspire fun ways to play. Several new
outfits in various designs are also available to allow a girl to further
personalize her Bitty Baby.

The new Bitty Baby picture-book collection, brought to life by Newbery
Honor Award author Kirby Larson and award-winning illustrator Sue
Cornelison, follows a little girl and her beloved Bitty Baby doll as
they discover the world around them. The heartwarming tales help little
girls shine bright by encouraging curiosity, generosity, confidence, and
kindness. Each book also comes with a special “For Parents” section that
focuses on the social and emotional experience of preschoolers and
offers parents tips to help their little girls become more confident,
patient, and independent.

Inspired by the Bitty Baby books, story-themed play sets based on
bedtime, travel, mealtime, and other activities encourage imaginative
play and help bring the interactive stories to life. Matching outfits
for girls and their Bitty Baby dolls extend the play experience, along
with a new line of premium plush animals and keepsake-quality furniture,
including a wooden crib and changing table.

To further engage little girls and their parents in Bitty Baby’s
expanding world, American Girl is introducing the following initiatives:

Sweet Moments with Bitty Baby Video Contest: Starting August
27, 2013, parents are encouraged to create an original video clip (up
to 60 seconds) of their little girl’s sweetest moments with her Bitty
Baby doll, then submit the video at americangirl.com/bittyparentsfor a chance to win one of two grand prizes worth $1200 each.
Videos must be received by October 20, 2013.

Bitty Baby Online: Visitors to americangirl.com/bittyparents
will find even more of Bitty Baby’s world to explore. The all-new
content includes a downloadable app and enhanced e-books, plus a “For
Parents” section with tips to help their daughters to be their best.
And little girls can find more fun with Bitty Baby by going to americangirl.com/playbitty,
where they’ll discover online games, activities, and puzzles inspired
by the Bitty Baby picture books.

Bitty Baby In-Store Reading Events: On every Tuesday and
Thursday in September, little girls and their parents can hear a
reading of Bitty Baby and Me at American Girl retail locations
nationwide. To learn more about the free reading events or to find the
nearest American Girl store, visit americangirl.com/stores.

The new Bitty Baby dolls, which retail for $80, along with picture
books, outfits, and accessories, will be available starting August
27, 2013, through American Girl’s catalogue (1-800-845-0005),
at americangirl.com, and at all American Girl retail locations
nationwide.

About American Girl

American Girl Brands is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel (NASDAQ:MAT)
(www.mattel.com),
the world’s leading toy company. Since American Girl’s inception in
1986, the company has devoted its entire business to celebrating the
potential of girls ages 3 to 12. American Girl encourages girls to
dream, to grow, to aspire, to create, and to imagine through a wide
range of engaging and insightful books, age-appropriate and educational
products, and unforgettable experiences. In meeting its mission with a
vigilant eye toward quality and service, American Girl has earned the
loyal following of millions of girls and the praise and trust of parents
and educators. To learn more about American Girl, visit www.americangirl.com.Follow American Girl on Facebook: www.facebook/americangirl
or Twitter: @American_Girl.

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